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CU could add master's in law, Ph.D. in Asian languages

Regents to consider new degree proposals next week

By Brittany Anas Camera Staff Writer

Posted:
02/05/2010 07:32:38 PM MST

Updated:
02/07/2010 11:27:15 PM MST

Megan Griswold stretches out to read in the library at the Wolf Law Building at the University of Colorado on Friday. CU s School of Law is proposing a "master of laws" degree in three specialty areas -- natural resources, technology and intellectual property, and entrepreneurial law.
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MARK LEFFINGWELL
)

The University of Colorado regents next week will consider adding two new degree programs at the Boulder campus: a master's in law and a doctorate in Asian languages.

As school officials make the pitch during tough economic times, the regents will review documents that show enrollment in some recently approved degree tracks is soaring past projections. The degree proposals also highlight the revenue potential of the programs, show there's a high demand and outline how the disciplines fit into the school's long-term plan known as "Flagship 2030" -- which aims to prepare graduates for an increasingly competitive global economy.

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The regents are expected to approve the new degree proposals at their board meeting Thursday in Colorado Springs.

CU's School of Law is proposing a "master of laws" degree in three specialty areas -- natural resources, technology and intellectual property, and entrepreneurial law.

"We picked these programs because they are what (CU) law is known for," said Elisa Dalton, a spokeswoman for the law school.

Litany Webster, a first-year law student, works on her laptop in the student commons of the Wolf Law Building at the University of Colorado on Friday.
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MARK LEFFINGWELL
)

Once approved by the regents, the law school will start taking applications from students who have already earned their juris doctorate or foreign equivalent, Dalton said.

Regent Michael Carrigan, a CU law graduate, said the program will help CU attract top-notch students and professors, as well as increase rankings.

The master's program is expected to generate money for the law school in its first year of operation, and campus leaders say there is a high student demand for the degree track.

The program will break even with just five students, and the law school will pay 25 percent of the tuition revenue to the university. With tuition at about $33,000, the law school alone would bring in about $25,000 for each enrolled student.

No full-time faculty members will be hired for the program, according to Dayna Bowen Matthew, associate dean for academic affairs and a law professor. However, existing faculty members will receive stipends to work with the master's students.

The faculty stipends will equal the rate paid to adjunct law teachers, which is $1,750 per course credit.

The College of Arts and Sciences will also be seeking approval for a doctoral program in Asian languages and civilizations, with specialties in Japanese or Chinese. The Ph.D. program would be the first in the Rocky Mountain region, according to CU officials.

Boulder campus leaders say there is a demand for the higher degrees because of the rising global position of China and Japan, and a resulting increase in undergraduate and graduate enrollments in the disciplines.

CU officials expect that the degree program would help draw grants from Asian funding agencies. The department has enough faculty members to support the Ph.D. program, according to the College of Arts and Sciences.

Campus spokesman Bronson Hilliard said proposed degree programs don't need to be revenue generators to be approved. Take, for example, a high-level science program that requires expensive equipment and additional teaching resources.

The campus considers whether there is demand for a degree, or a gap in academic offerings, when it reviews new programs.

"The professional schools have a nice combination of academic and public demand, and, in the process, they can realize revenue," Hilliard said.

Some degree programs that have emerged in the past few years have drawn more students than projected.

For example, the projected enrollment in chemical and biological engineering, which was approved in 2006 as a bachelor's degree program, was 102 students this year. The actual enrollment is 188, according to a document prepared for the regents.

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